09-28-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, September 14, 2020 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 23 of 26 Crosby also noted the Met Council has been raising their prices by 30% per year. Printup said that was something suggested for the future newsletter: to break down what recycling costs, Met Council costs, and other outside forces that are dictating the City. Rief said they’re starting the editing process now and the next newsletter would be out in October. Printup asked if they could get something in Public Works or Finance. CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT 17. COVID-19 CARES ACT EXPENDITURES UPDATE Rief said last week they did the first reporting for the CARES Act Funding and noted the City received $610,407 and they are quite restricted on how that can be used. The City received the money on July 29, 2020 and it allows them to account for any expenditures since March 1, 2020. He gave an overview of what has already been spent and put in for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). Through approximately May 31, 2020 on non-wage expenses, the City had about $4,400 and since then there has been an additional $17,000 in total expenditures. This component is important based on the next Council action. Cleaning equipment on order ($4,300), Biohazard masks ($31,000), COVID-19 sick and overtime to cover shifts (approximately $30,000) – Rief noted it probably won’t be that much but there have been 14 employees who’ve been out based on exposures and there is a line item in the pay called “COVID Sick” because law requires them to provide up to two weeks and it allows them to track those expenditures on lost work time, etcetera. He noted additional PPE is on order and front desk OSHA requirements for two personnel because of the proximity issue; Part of the CARES Act money allows them to make modifications to work spaces to meet those requirements (projected at $55,000). Improved air handling/filtration for City buildings ($6,000) is already in process; they are adding UV lighting and filtration systems at City Hall and changed how the HVAC works. The Orono Cares for Schools Grant is looking to initially start with $300,000. Total current expenses are about $21,000 with $17,000 in CARES money with projected expenses of $147,000 plus the $300,000 grant program leaves the City with about $145,000 in contingent funds. He noted any of the money they don’t spend goes back to the County and the County is then required to allocate it back to Hennepin County Medical Center. He noted he heard some concerns regarding funding on the Orono schools side and he figured out a way to divvy it out equally to both the two major schools districts of West Tonka and Orono and in the next Council action they can discuss it based on the percent of property tax base in the community. Crosby asked where those dollars would be for the schools. Rief said Orono schools only received $98,000 in COVID-19 funding. The way they worked their funding and why it became a shock to him was based on the amount of Title students (disabled, low- income, etcetera). When they classified that, because of the affluency of most of the Orono school district, it negatively impacted the amount of dollars they received. He noted Saint Michael received $650,000, West Tonka received somewhere in the $4-500,000 range and Rief was trying to be as fair as possible. Seals asked if Mound or Minnetrista are donating any of their CARES Funds.